The Note

W A S H I N G T O N, June 22, 2004

Page 3 of 15

The Washington Post's John Harris and Linton Weeks write that in the book, Clinton departs from his grand jury testimony and corroborates the story told by former White House intern Monica Lewinsky about the genesis and timing of their relationship. The duo Note that aides could not explain the discrepancy, and Clinton's attorney, David Kendall did not return a call. LINK

USA Today's Bill Nichols and Bob Minzesheimer write-up their 45-minute interview with 42 yesterday following his appearance on "Oprah." LINK

"'It was dark down there,' Clinton writes of his inner turmoil. As a junior in high school, Clinton wrote that 'I sometimes question the sanity of my existence.'"

More highlights from the Q and A: LINK

Donna Brazile adds her prose in Roll Call to the Clinton book brouhaha, saying she has "no doubt Americans will rush to devour all 957 pages of Clinton's tome," and that it will remind America what it wants in a leader.

The Boston Globe's Canellos skillfully compares President George W. Bush to former President Bill Clinton and how they both have the ability to polarize politics. LINK

"Clinton and Bush are the two poles (one shaky, one brittle) in the political pathology that has gripped the country over the last decade. The differences between the two go well beyond personality or morality, extending all the way to their visions for the United States and its relationship to the world."

"While many readers await today's release of Clinton's memoirs to see how the big guy tries to weasel his way out of personal scandals, others feel a pang imagining how different the world would be had Clinton not been barred from a third term."

And look at this little tidbit: "Two weeks ago, Clinton reportedly advised Kerry to campaign as though Iraq was stable, the economy was going great guns, and bin Laden was dead -- in other words, avoiding all possible flash points and concentrating on selling himself. Kerry, to all appearances, doesn't have the political dexterity (or shamelessness) to pull that off, and may remember that Clinton's overly strategic approach was what drove some voters away from the Democrats in the first place."

The Associated Press' Will Lester writes up an AP-Ipsos poll proving out Howard Kurtz's theory -- that Ronald Reagan will be remembered as a better president than Bill Clinton. About 83 percent surveyed said they view Reagan favorably, Lester Notes, while 41 percent said the same of Clinton. Fifty-three percent said they view Clinton unfavorably. LINK

The AP's Ron Fournier looks at how Sen. Kerry is embracing former President Clinton's "economic record and taking action to capitalize on his popularity among minorities." LINK

Fournier Notes that the poll "is a mirror image of Clinton's ratings just before the 2000 election, when slightly more than half of likely voters said they approved of the president."

Polls:

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll brings some tough news for President Bush, showing that 52 percent of Americans say the war in Iraq was not worth fighting, and approval of the way he is handling the war on terror has fallen to 50 percent -- the lowest yet, and an 8-point drop since last month. For the first time, Notes ABC News Polling Director Gary Langer, Sen. Kerry has pulled even with the President as someone Americans trust to handle terrorism. LINK